Jalin Turner explains how he handled the burden of hurting his opponents

Jalin Turner has found peace with the violence inherent in mixed martial arts by reframing his mindset about his opponents. The lightweight, who briefly retired last year following a submission loss to Ignacio Bahamondes, explained that the mental burden of hurting fighters had weighed heavily on him—particularly after a brutal knockout of King Green and an intense battle with Dan Hooker.

At UFC 330, Turner showed his return to form with a devastating left hook knockout of Kaue Fernandes. Though the violence of MMA had previously troubled him, the 31-year-old has adopted a healthier perspective that has made fighting feel "more peaceful."

Turner realized that every fighter who steps across from him in the Octagon shares his passion for the sport. Understanding that injury and risk are inherent parts of combat athletics—not something he alone inflicts—has eased his mental strain.

"The King Green and Dan fights got to me," Turner told Full Send MMA. "All those fights got to me. But now I know that I'm here and it's not because of me. It's so much more past than just I'm trying to hurt people; I'm trying to beat people up… Now, the person across the Octagon from me loves what they do as much as I do. When I started thinking about it like that, that makes it a little bit more peaceful."

Turner was on a five-fight finishing streak in 2022 before dropping four of his next five bouts, including a dramatic loss to Renato Carneiro where he walked off after a knockdown only to be stopped later. His recent back-to-back knockout victories suggest the mental clarity has reinvigorated his fighting edge.